A traffic accident left one youth severely injured and Government Minister Alex Scott thanking the Lord and his seat belt for saving his life yesterday.

A youth on a motorcycle overtook the Works and Engineering Minister shortly after 9 a.m. on Middle Road yesterday and collided head on with a van, causing it to collide with the driver's side of Mr. Scott's Peugeot car.

"Thanks to the Lord, my seat belt, my air bag and Peugeot technology that I am all right,'' said Mr. Scott when he spoke with The Royal Gazette about the accident yesterday afternoon. He said the youth overtook him and another car but did not see the van approaching in the oncoming lane.

The youth collided with the van head on, causing it to swerve into his car while the youngster was thrown from his bike into the road, said Mr. Scott.

Mr. Scott did not want to overdramatise the incident, but attributed his escape from injury to his seat belt. "I have been in the habit (of wearing a seat belt) ever since the Minister of Transport suggested wearing seat belts become mandatory after recommendations made by then-chairman of the Road Safety Board, Delcina Bean-Burrows.'' Mr. Scott said he was shaken up by the incident and had sustained a cut to his shin, but had to go to his Ministry as he was holding for the Ministers of Tourism and Finance as well. He added that there was an off duty doctor behind him who attended to the youth who was thrown from his bike.

"I would advise everyone to use seat belts for your own safety,'' said Mr.

Scott, who added that he had made it a requirement for his family members to use them.

Craig Cannonier arrived at the scene shortly after the accident and recalled what he saw.

"The bike was next to the upholstery shop, he had grey sneakers on, one was in the road and the other was on the golf course.'' Thankful for seat belts "He must have hit some sort of hard because his sneaker was on the golf course.'' The youth sustained severe leg injuries and Mr. Cannonier remarked: "The blood was so thick it looked like paint.'' An ambulance and fire truck were on the scene very quickly, said Mr.

Cannonier.

"It would be nice to know if he does make it, but to see someone twitching like that with all that blood, you think they aren't going to make it.

"He looked about 19 or 20 and had a baby face.'' He continued: "The open-back truck hit Alex Scott's car and the front and side of the Peugeot was all mashed up.'' Mr. Cannonier said three elderly women stopped to help the injured youth, one held his head, trying to shield him from seeing the blood as he clenched her very tightly, whilst her two companions (one of which had a broken leg) tended to his legs.

"They were messed right up (his legs) and it looked like most of the blood was coming from them. How it happened I can't even figure out,'' said Mr.

Cannonier.

He added that shortly after the accident, a friend of the victim showed up and frantically searched for a cell phone to call his family.

Mr. Cannonier offered his phone and he called the victim's parents and then went to his side and asked him: "Are you going to be all right?'' Mr. Cannonier said the victim tried to move his head but was obviously in pain and kept his fists clenched.

Another witness said the cycle's wheel was not bent, but broken into pieces, and one of the van's wheels was pushed at a right angle under the vehicle.

He also noted that bits of the victim's bike were scattered all over the road on both sides of the car and van.

Traffic was diverted on to Harbour Road via Tamarind Vale while Middle Road was closed for more than half an hour.

It is believed the victim went to the operating theatre for surgery upon being taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

At the last check, he had been moved to a general ward and was in stable condition.

The road traffic accident victim who hit a water truck on Thursday of last week is still in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital but is said to be stable.